EDINBURG, Texas - Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents and local law enforcement partners encountered four large groups, disrupted three human smuggling events, including a human smuggling stash house resulting in a total of 703 apprehensions.
On May 13, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station (RCG) agents apprehended 199 non-citizens near Roma. The group was initially observed by the Texas Military Department (TMD). The migrants are from South and Central America and were comprised of 58 unaccompanied children, 81 family unit members and 60 single adults.
A few hours later, RCG encountered and additional 168 non-citizens from South and Central America near Rio Grande City. The TMD initially observed the large group and alerted RGC agents. The group consisted of 18 unaccompanied children, 53 family unit members, and 97 single adults. McAllen Border Patrol Station (MCS) agents apprehended 130 non-citizens near La Joya less than three hours later. The migrants are from South and Central America and the groups consisted of 28 unaccompanied children, 36 family unit members, and 66 single adults.
Also on May 13, MCS agents arrested 12 non-citizens near Linn. Agents observed the driver of a Dodge Ram veer off the road and drive through a ranch fence while agents were attempting to initiate an immigration inspection on the occupants of the truck. The driver took the vehicle over open ground and through seven different fence lines before rendering the truck undrivable. Agents, with the assistance of a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper and an Army National Guard aircraft searched the area and discovered the migrants, one of whom was an unaccompanied minor child. The migrants are from South and Central America. The driver was not located.
A fourth large group was encountered on May 14, RCG agents, with the assistance of TMD, apprehended another 160 non-citizens near La Grulla. The large group consisted of 37 unaccompanied children, 27 family unit members, and 95 single adults. Among the group was a U.S. citizen minor child. The migrants are from South and Central America.
On May 15, Harlingen Border Patrol Station agents, in cooperation with the Port Mansfield Police Department , encountered five non-citizens entering the U.S. on a raft in the ship channel in Port Mansfield. One of the migrants, a citizen of Mexico, was turned over to the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office for an outstanding warrant in Dallas.
MCS agents, La Joya Police Department (La Joya PD) and Texas DPS troopers combined efforts to interdict a human smuggling event on May 17 near Havana. The driver of a GMC Yukon failed to yield to La Joya PD and sped away on a heavily congested roadway. An Air and Marine Operations (AMO) helicopter located the vehicle and observed the occupants exit the vehicle. La Joya PD, Texas DPS, and MCS agents were able to locate six citizens of Guatemala and three citizens of Mexico; the driver was not located. La Joya PD took custody of the vehicle.
A human stash house was discovered in Mission by RGV agents in cooperation with the Hidalgo County Sheriff Office (HCSO) on May 16. Agents apprehended a total of 20 subjects from Mexico, South, and Central America were determined to be illegally present in the U.S. No caretaker was identified.
All subjects were processed accordingly.
Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV and @USBPChiefRGV.